Choosing the Right Haircut for Your Dog

Heading to the Doggy Spa can be a big deal. We often struggle with what we want our pets to look like. There are long hair cuts and short hair cuts for many dogs including: shihtzu, lhasa, poodle, yorkie, pomeranian, cocker spaniel and many more. Many of the owners we see at Golda's Grooming opt for longer cuts during the winter and shorter cuts for the summer as a practicality to staying cooler in the warmer months. Other owners like to keep their pets shorter all year long as a low maintenance option to keeping up with regular brushing. A few of our regular customers keep their pets long all year long because they want their pet looking its fanciest for any unexpected picture perfect moments. It's also important to take into account the cost of regular upkeep. Most dogs who have fur that grows long visit their groomer regularly, within an 8 week timeframe to avoid tangles, dirt, and other unwanted problems (i.e. sharp/ overgrown toe nails, ear mites, fleas, skin problems, etc.). It's also important to consider what the cut will look like if your dog has skin problems such as dandruff or scaly skin. A shorter cut may be more comfortable for your pet and help you to monitor such issues, but a longer cut may look better.

Longer haircuts are hand scissor cuts that require more time and patience on the part of the groomer and the dog. If your dog is hyper at home, it will probably be bringing its go, go, go personality to the grooming table and may not have the patience to sit still for hand scissor trims. These trims are also generally more expensive because of the time it takes to hand scissor.

Shorter haircuts are clipper cuts that require shaving of the fur to a shorter length. If the dog isn't matted it can sometimes be shaved with a 3 3/4 or 4 blade that leaves the fur at its longest length for a clipper cut. If the dog is matted it often needs a 7 blade to get beneath the mats. This cut is fairly close to the skin and if not performed by a professional groomer can cause skin burn. It's very important as an owner to keep your dog brushed. It not only makes the entire grooming process smoother for the groomer, but it is easier on your pet. Tangles can be painful to brush out. With regular brushing you can avoid this. Golda's Grooming recommends using a curved wire brush that pulls through tangles with ease. Areas to focus on include the tail, under the ears, and the legs.

Shaved feet or Clean feet is also popular among poodles. This can be done whether the body is cut to a long or short cut. This is when the foot is shorter than the rest of the leg giving it a cleaner appearance.  Typically other dogs, do not have their feet cleaned.

In our experience the main things to keep in mind when choosing a cut for your dog during its grooming are as follows:

1. budget friendly for regular grooming within an 8 week period
2. is it comfortable for your dog
3. is your dog matted
4. does your dog have skin problems
5. what is your personal preference

We hope this article has helped you to consider what is best for your dogs next grooming.

For more information on dog care check out the Golda's Grooming Website.

Golda's Grooming

 "We Care About Your Pets" 3629 Western Ave. Knoxville, TN 37931 Right off of I-40. Or 
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